Assurance of Transportation: A Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide
Earlier this year, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance on Medicaid transportation to serve as a consolidated and comprehensive compilation of both current and new Medicaid transportation policy.
Some highlights from the guidance:
- on page 18 under EPSDT Transportation: "If, in order to effectuate transportation for the child, the child needs to be accompanied to their medical service(s), the state must cover the cost of the transportation for the person accompanying the child. Transportation for the person accompanying the child includes coverage for trips to and from the service, including in cases of out-of-state trips.
- on page 18 under Transportation for the Direct Benefit of Children Under 21: "...where a child is receiving residential or facility-based care (e.g., inpatient, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF), etc.) and the presence of the parent, family member, or other caregiver is necessary so that they can actively participate in the treatment/intervention for the direct benefit of the child, then state may pay for transportation for the parent, family member, or caregiver in order to ensure the child's medically necessary services are provided (e.g., to provide breast milk or breastfeed, participate in family therapy, medical decision making and consent for surgery, etc.).
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